This was the last great match these two played at Wimbledon. Along with McEnroe they were responsible for catapulting men's tennis to the stratosphere. I was at school at the time. The match began at around 4.30pm. Normally people would be busy around campus doing all kinds of things. By the time we get to the fifth set there was not a soul around. Everyone, including the teachers, had rushed to commons rooms all over the school to find a tv to see how it panned out. The very definition of a truly great event. You cannot imagine how exciting this was. As they took their bow to the Royal Box at the end, Connors in his white tracksuit top, Borg in that iconic red and vanilla Dunlop strip, Dan Maskell said it was one of the greatest matches he had ever seen. It was on a par with that great 1980 final the year before between McEnroe and Borg. A momentous match during a truly memorable period in men's tennis.
I agree. How did Connors blow this match, though? I do not know why, but Connors has always been my favourite player, even though he was rather vulgar. After Connors, Borg was my favourite player. Then came McEnroe, and then Agassi. I liked Lendl for a while. If he played Agassi, I was for Agassi. I do not know why I never wanted Sampras to win, even though he seems like a great guy.
Two great players. Iceborg remains my favourite and Wimbledon icon. He did not talk much and got on with his games. Jimmy on the other hand used to intimidate and patronise opponents, but never against Borg. They had high respects for each other. And why would anyone trying to intimidate Borg anyway? That time also with McEnroe was the golden age of Wimbledon in my view.
Agree@'golden age' of tennis comment. I was a lil sh-t when I was introduced to those great male players back in the day, and that magical trio of Borg/Connors/McEnroe brought an intensity and "pizzaz" to tennis that really hasn't been equaled since, IMO. Subsequently produced some of the best combination of drama, showmanship and epic tennis matches between those ultra competitors. BTW, has there ever been a more well-behaved, non-bitching athlete than Bjorn Borg??
@@mikes3827 Bjorn had to hold these emotions in. It is the Nordic Way. He probably got really mad and explode in his private life, though. The other 2 would just let it out on the court. These 3 were amazing. 3 different styles of playing with different type of racquets. An amazing period in tennis history.
Oh the kids today haven't a clue about the equipment back in the day. I used to be pretty damned good with my Wilson wood racquet and got deep in local club tourneys. We used to have much better variety of shots but one couldn't get super powerful speed but made for better rallies.I wouldn't trade my time in 70s and 80s and the men and women stars for the world
@@markwhitman9029 When I started playing as a child in the late 80's, we were already using graphite frames, I would love to play with a wooden racket some time, though. I imagine the strings felt softer than today's?
The most memorable tennis match I've even seen and Borg's greatest comeback - the coolness and guts he showed on some of the break points against him in the fifth set had to be seen to be believed, and of course at this time unknown to the public he was starting to feel burnt out and coming to the end of his tether. You can see it slightly in some of his mistakes and mannerisms. At times his face seems sadder than normal. Their wasn't much sport on TV then and the whole world seemed to stop for it. The networks around the world thought Borg would win in straight sets but when Connors went 2 sets up they were scrambling their schedules around to keep it on air. At the time some people called it the greatest match in Wimbledon history
I was actually there for this match. Such a privilege. The last match that Borg won at Wimbledon. Brought his unbeaten run to 41, if my arithmetic is correct 😏.
Borg is the most impressive tennis player I have ever seen. He was a very mysterious player because he was very silent, very calm and made no gesture of irritation or joy. His nickname was "iceborg". I felt like I was seeing some sort of “God” come to Earth. No other tennis player ever gave me such a visual impression again. Federer Nadal and Djokovic are legends, but they never achieved the aura of Borg because they remained human, while Borg gave the impression of having come from another planet, of being an alien, and when he had his beard, he looked like it was Jesus Christ playing tennis. At the age of 25 he had already won 11 Grand Slams. People today can't imagine the legendary player Borg was back then. He stopped playing tennis at just 26 years old, that’s incredible too.
I went with my grandma to Wimbledon in 1981, we had tickets to No1 court. We saw McEnroe and Stan Smith in the round of 16. Connors was on an outside court, I think his ranking had dropped somewhat. He had a resurgence after Borg retired soon after this. Borg was playing Gerulaitis on center court, I got a glimpse of both of them but it was very crowded. Borg was my hero, so enigmatic, so seemingly unemotional and cool under pressure.
Today's top 20 players should all be charged a 1% Royalty charge on their earnings so that money can go into the bank accounts of Connors and Borg. THESE ARE THE GUYS (especially Jimmy Connors) who directly brought the big prize money into Men's Tennis. These are the guys who made tennis a draw on TELEVISION. Jimmy Connors invented the fist pump....nobody had ever seen any players act with such gusto and passion before he showed up in the late 1960's. And Borg Borg became a ROCK STAR in the tennis universe, almost winning 6 titles in a row at Wimbledon.
Yeh Jimmy Connors is the most exiting player ever! My favourite and he changed tennis forever! For me the greatest ever for sheer commitment and giving the fans their moneys worth! And dont forget has the world record of 109 atp tour titles!
I remember as a kid hearing my friend, who had already watched the first two sets, saying that Borg was two sets down to Connors. I wasn't a tennis fan but presumed that Connors would win it. By the time I got home I couldn't believe it when I watched the 9 o clock news to see that Borg had won!! From then on I was a Borg fan. By the way, The crowds back then - so many people, packed like sardines. That was tennis at its height.
It’s sick to think how many majors Connors would have won if he had a serve like Federer or even one like Nadal that more than occasionally yielded him “free” points. Connors got so few “free” points on his serve yet won Wimbledon twice and reached the semis or the finals there many, many times. Remarkable.
Indeed and even more surprising he never did anything about it, he always had and kept his pat-a-cake serve. Borg used to beef his serve up for Wimbledon, it was actually a very effective serve he had. We don't notice as much as I don't think any player in the history of the sport has served as quickly ( as in taken the serves) as Borg. And what was immense was that he even served quickly when down on big points. McEnroe would go for a whiskey at the local pub before serving his second serve at 30-40, Nadal and Djokovic play around with their shirts or bounce the ball a 100 times before serving. Mentally the man was unbreakable. (Well until he broke himself and quit)
@@onthe4572 At least 20 of those were bill reardon's small events separate of WCT back in the early 70's. Connors isnt going to be measured on 109, but on 8 majors.
I have watched the replay of this match…especially the 5th set, so many times….hoping for a different result. If Jimmy could have broken him in the 3rd game of the 5th and go up 2-1 with his serve. He had 2 break points.
Thank you so much for putting this on here this is the one match I listened to the last set to at work and I remember shouting " yes he's done it " and everyone looking at me in total amazement lol
'81 was actually a resurgent year for Connors. Though he narrowly lost to Borg in this epic semi, he went on to beat McEnroe in the final of the indoor championship at Wembley towards the end of the year and the following year won another Wimbledon title against Mac, as well as successive titles at the US Open in '82 & '83, taking his total to 5 in that competition. Borg attempted a comeback in '82 and '83 losing twice to Connors and then gave up. Jimmy's persistence stands as an inspiration to us all...
The modern rackets change the game of tennis. When Pete Sampras retired and did not even touch a tennis racket for a few years, when he did, he was amazed by the power of the newer rackets. The rackets of Jimmy Conners and Borg were the dinosaurs of tennis. As we watched this video, we have to wonder if the tennis court was longer and wider than the modern tennis court. Of course, what I am trying to say is that shots produced by Del Potro, Robin Soldering, Stan Wawrinka, and some modern players are so must faster because of the newer rackets.
Incredible tennis from two of the worlds best. Jimmy using a modern technology racquet, and Borg preferred to use his trusted Wooden Donnay racquet. Legends. 🙏👊😎
@Gumshoe Beaumont French player Lacoste designed the T-2000 in 1953. Not modern. It was not patented and sold until a few years later. It's head was small, as were the wood rackets of the day. I played with a T-2000 for maybe 4 years when Jimmy used it. I liked it. It was powerful compared with competing wood frames. Jimmy eventually moved on to the Prince Mono, so I played with that, too.
@Gumshoe Beaumont I started playing tennis in 1961. Just about all rackets back then had tiny heads. About 30 years ago, I played several matches with a young guy. I won every match. I had my best play between age 40 and age 50. Never an expert player, my ratings ranged from 3.5 to 4.5. He told me he was considering a new frame, perhaps the Wilson Pro Staff Pete Sampras made famous. I think it is 85 square inches. I have hit with it - a sweet frame that really challenges its owner. I told my young friend that if he mastered that frame, he could really improve his play. I didn't see the young man for a year. He called me for a match. He showed up with the 85 inch Pro Staff. He had cleaned up his strokes - he really had no other choice with that racket. I lost against him for the first time and congratulated him with real pleasure. I consider my main frame to be a Head Prestige, 93 square inches. But I also play with 103 and 108 square inch frames, when I'm not feeling my game. My most unusual frame is a Wilson Triad XP5. You could look it up - it is a 3 piece frame. It's very stiff while being pain free.
I had the privilege of being there for this fabulous match. As someone commented, the last match that Borg won at Wimbledon, because he lost in the final that year to McEnroe. Then, after the U S Open that year, I think it was, he pretty much walked away from professional tennis.
I started to play tennis around 1988. Mostly on public courts here in Sweden before I got a job and could pay for the clay courts. Most people at that time was impressed by Wilander or Edberg. So was I. But there was one thing I remembered around this time. Borg used to string his rackets to 28kg. With a wooden racket, that´s alot. They broke alot of rackets back then. Of course, this wasn´t a problem in 88 because we used graphite. So, I stringed my rackets to 28 kg. And you can hear it in this video, That poppin sound of Borgs racket. 28 kg! Wonderful!
Jimmy nearly destroyed my childhood when he lost this match..He was on fire in the first two sets and Borg had no answer to his aggression and power.I dared to believe that this was his year but Sport is so cruel as I watched in agony as victory was snatched from his grasp!
This match shows just how much mental toughness Borg has. He could have conceded this match. But he found a way to win against a guy that hated losing to him. That's unbelievable!
borg would have a very hard time even winning a game or two off Fed, Nadal or Djoker. Borg's game looks pathetic compared to anyone on the ATP today. Sorry to say.
Excuse me,he would have their Rackets and with his speed,much faster than those 3 plus the Grass is slower nowadays,do your homework and do NOT dismiss an all time great!!
Absolutely, utterly wrong my friend. I saw Borg play live in his day. Using the same rocket launcher rackets that unfortunately took over tennis shortly after Borg retired, he would have demolished Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, etc. FYR Borg also has one incredible record that no player before or since has equaled: an 89.8% winning percentage of matches won at Grand Slams. Borg and Federer are the two best players in history in my book.
+tenniscollector Connors vs Perfors. I used to own that on VHS as I was taping Connors getting a thrashing. Then he miraculously turned it around. That was an amazing comeback too.
So nice to hear BBC..Only commented when it's warranted.....The ambience....Especially at Wimbledon speaks for itself....Pat Mac....take Note....Just to name one
I have all this on vhs tape. Tremendous match. Connors on fire for two sets then a close third set and he didn't play badly in the fourth but didn't win a game. This final set was immense. Nectar Of The Gods according to our press... I was 16 years old watching on a bw tv in Harlech, Wales
And that's why Jimmy's my all time favorite. He had absolutely no serve, so he was always already at a disadvantage to begin with. He was much easier to break than was Borg, Mac, or Lendl. But he was such a grinder and left everything he had out there on the court. I just loved watching him. But he lost to Borg at Wimbledon and it killed me as a kid to see him lose all the time.
No serve, and really a mediocre forehand on anything hit low to him on that flat side. Yet you're right, Jimmy had great mental toughness, a magnificent backhand, underrated speed and good (not great ) volleys. Also a brilliant overhead. But if you watch Connors footwork, it was tremendous as well. Borg was just a better athlete, , with more consistency, and a bigger forehand and serve than Connors. It was a bad stylistic matchup for Connors in this rivalry. Espec once Borg matured into a good server. 2 all time greats.
Using this factor, then Nadal should be the undisputed goat. He has serve not any better than wta player outside top 10 yet he's still on 16 slams, having won on all the surfaces, that too in a competition with Federer and Djokovic. Rafa usually get broken in almost every match or at least every other, regardless of who he play against. Surely he's the player among the greatest who has the weakest serve of all time. Don't forget that in the woorden era, the serve didn't really matter so much, since the raquets didn't allow almost no power. In the current era the serve matter way, way more.
Thanks so much for sharing this from a life-long Borg fan. The memory of this nail-biting match has been etched in my memory ever since I saw it all those years ago on our small 24" colour TV in Hounslow. 😀 I couldn't believe how Conners thundered through those 1st 2 sets, winning one 6-0 & thinking how can Borg come back from this? The way he did then, also winning a set 6-0 was tennis at it's finest. I was pacing up & down cheering Borg on & so very happy when he won. 😀
Connors' serve is not as bad as people make it to be. He won over 100 tournaments. No one does that with a bad serve. He know how to get it in with slice, topspin or hit it flat. It's ok.
@@markbrandis5684 i dont think so.Connors technik is better.and he ist lefty. but i cant find any stats,so i must see whole match to be sure.and i dont want to see whole match.
Borg had no intention of retiring after the 81 season.he was just going to take some time off.he was later informed thatecause of his lack of play that he would have to qualify for Wimbledon.being a 5 time champ he was justifiably upset,and decided not to play the 82 season.
@ Hunk Golden. Connors played 13 more years on the men's pro tennis tour after losing to Borg in the 1981 Wimbledon Men's Semifinal not 10 more years. Both Connors and Lendl retired from the men's pro tennis tour in December of 1994.
I saw Bjorn playing. He was a normal guy but I never see a guy so kick and so cool on court. Playing with small rackets 35 kgs gling gling old strings 450 gr. This guy was a Viking.
I watched all these matches live, in America, so I only heard Engberg and Collins and Newcombe and that crowd. Watching the matches with British announcers is so cool. It's so much more down to earth and respectful than American commentators.
40 plus years later, still get chills at the end as those two titans of the sport walk off the court to a standing ovation. 13 break points in the set.....Borg 1 of 9, Connors 0 of 4. So many huge points that could have turned it.
Remember early in Borg's career the experts thought he'd never be able to win majors on grass with that game. But he kept improving his serve. Not to mention volley(s.)
What is this??? No towels to use between every point played??? Great game, remember watching it on a black and white tv at our cottage at sommer break...
The T2000 is iconic. Conners slapped deep flat shots with that racket especially on hard courts. It was about a $30 dollar racket you could find at Wal-Mart or Sears lol everybody wanted to give it a try.
Merci Stéphane Je me souviens de ce match : de mémoire Connors menait 2 sets à 0..et la suite et fin de partie était diffusée en fin de journal télévisé
Connors was as pumped up during those first two sets as any player has ever been in the history of Wimbledon, in the history of tennis, in the history of sport. It was absolutely spine tingling. But Borg. The coolest guy on the planet just wouldn't let it go.
Borg defeated Connors 10 times in a row from 1978-1981 then retired . What he must have thought when he witnessed Jimmy win Wimbledon and US Open in 1982. Borg was my favourite tennis player of all time. I was 9 in 1981 but I remember this match was gutted when he lost to McEnroe in the final.
First memory of Borg was beating Tanner in 79. He would win Roland Garros and then immediately start practicing on the grass for Wimbledon he used to struggle in the early rounds but peaked in the second week reaching 6 finals in a row. I often wonder if he could’ve won more slams if he hadn’t retired. The ATP bosses should’ve let him play where and when he wanted from 1982 onwards. Like Djokovic now he only plays a limited schedule nowadays hoping he wins number 24 at flushing meadow but I think 23 is where he’ll finish at least he’s won more than Nadal
Conners, the all time singles title winner with 109 wins, didn't play 8 french opens because he was banned or couldn't schedule it, i know he was banned for 4 years, all in his prime. Conners won on every type of surface, he won the us open on grass, the us open on clay, and the us open when it changef again to hard court, the only man that did this. In 74 he won 3 majors but banned from french. How many more majors could he have had during those 8 years. Shame on the french.
Fondly remember this epic. Connors also had a 5 set comeback against Vijay Amritraj, earlier round. Was there a banner in the crowd with " Kill him Jimbo!" on it?
Once Borg figured out Jimmy around the end of 1979, he had him. Took him several years how to counter the flat Connors strokes and strategy, but once he did, he was bound to dominate Jimmy from then on. It started with Bjorn realizing his serve was a deadly weapon against Connors. Connors was on his back foot for the last 2 years of their rivalry, every match. Very sad this could not have happened prior to 1979. Borg absolutely intimidated Jimmy starting in 1980, and never let up for that short time Borg was still around until the end of 1981. Borg absolutely sliced and diced Jimmy to shreds in Bjorn's final Grand Slam victory at the US Open 1981.
I remember watching the first set live with my dad. He turned around and said..”Nobody beats Borg 6-0.” He was right, Borg would invariably win the match in those days.
Just think how much more dominant Borg would have been in his era than he was, if (1) he had improved his volley ( both forehand and backhand volleys) , (2) improved his second serve to the point where it into would have been a weapon in his game (as Lendl did by hitting his second serve aggressively during his peak years), (3) had developed a great topspin backhand lob and topspin forehand lob (which astonishingly he lacked on the backhand side considering his excellent two- handed topspin backhand groundstroke), and (4) had stood just behind the baseline to return McEnroe's serve , thereby depriving McEnroe of the time needed to get inside the service box for his first volley, instead of ridiculously standing 10-15 feet behind the baseline to return McEnroe's serve which allowed McEnroe to get in tight to the net to volley away for winners Borg's attempted passing shots.
Quite right. He lost to McEnroe in the final. And if I remember right, after losing to him again in the final (I think it was the final, no, might have been the semi-final, more or less walked away from competitive tennis.)
@@vanlendl1 I was actually there for that match! So I'm always proud to tell people that I was there for the last match that Bjorn Borg ever won at Wimbledon.
@@martm216 I remember this match, because I was living in NYC and we didn't have live tennis. I was listening to the radio 1010 wins and every 30 minutes at 45 on the hour, they did sports. They had a live report from Wimbledon. When Borg lost the first set 6/0 and then the 2nd, I was in total shock, because Borg never lost to Connors. I was terrified every half hour to hear, what was happening at Wimbledon. Then out of nowhere I heard incredible comeback at Wimbledon Bjorn Borg has comeback from 2 sets to love...... I was happy until that raining July 4th in NYC, when we all know what happened. We got the final live on NBC, and Bud Collins said, "the king is dead, long live the king." I was so devastated (I was 12) that an extrovert talking Kid became a mute, for a month, my mother was concerned,.what was wrong with me. Bjorn Borg had lost at Wimbledon and I was in shock.
I recall watching this match in 1981 and was hoping Connors would defeat Borg. It is the best and most intense match I had seen, Now I wish Borg had won the US open and that Connors had won more n Wimbledon titles. The Connors-Borg matches were more interesting to me than those with Macenroe.
I never realized it back in the good old days, but compared to today, these two greats have very odd or different backhand swings/strokes..especially Bjorn Borg..
I was there for this match, absolutely Fantastic!! Nobody thought this would be Borgs’ last win at SW19 😢. Jimbo doesn’t seem to get mentioned in the conversation with Mac and Bjorn BUT ….. who held almost every record conceivable in mens tennis till Fed, Rafa and Nole came along . Yep you’ve guessed it .. Jimmy Connors. 👋👋👋. OBTW, he has 1 more Slam than Johnny Mac !
Did anyone read Connor's bio? There is a passage in that book that I can no longer recall where Connors' provided his take about Borg and Wimbledon. I remember him saying that Borg was tough at Wimbledon but he was never invincible. But then he also mentioned Borg's particular style gave him some inherent advantage late in the tournament when the grass courts became worn. Does anyone know that that was? and if there was any truth to it?
Two all time greats played excellent tennis. King of grass court play king of Hard courts. Borg-Connors-McKenroe matchs are really classy. Thanks Stephane.Borg retired after 1982 but never ageing connors again beat McKenroe after loosing to Ash,Borg , Mcknroe and not to anybody ,in 1982 which is greatest come back ( after 8 years which he won wimbledon in 1974)in tennis history.
@ pradeep kumar. Borg essentially retired from pro tennis after the 1981 season not after 1982. Borg only played sporadically in 1982, primarily in exhibition tournaments.
Great tennis and great drama. The youngsters who keep chanting that tennis began with the B4 ought to watch more matches like this one. Sadly, they won't.
Little do the youngsters know about tennis in the wood racket era. I've only heard of the tennis rivalries of the 50's with Kramer and Gonzalez, and I was a bit young to witness the Australian domination with Laver winning slams as both an amateur and pro, and I can only imagine how many more slams that the "Rocket" would have won had the rules been different. Having said that, I can't imagine these aforementioned era Connors being anymore exciting than the late 70's and early 80's with the Borg/Connors rivalries, and soon to be replaced with Borg and McEnroe. It was a different kind of game, shot making required greater skill with the old technology.
@@philippeigoa7765 laver was stopped with the emergence of conners, conners had 3 majors that year but couldn't play the french because he was banned. He signed a contract that the french open didn't agree with.
Yes, i remember that as well. For him, losing the first set 6-0 was just a warming up, I guess. It didn t bother him. And then he went on and beat the hell out of the other guy. How great is that for confidence! For me he is still and alway will be the greatest.
I watched this live on our Channel 9 in Australia as a 16 year old. So excited after 2 sets. So stressed after 4 sets. Deep depression after the 5th. Remember this do well. 😔😔😔😔😔Took the day off from school next morning - parents didnt know it was purely being heartbroken that i didn’t want to go to school. Thought i was really sick! Now here i am, 39 years later, senior teacher at major Aussie school 😜🤫
In the quarters, Connors, 0-2 down against the mercurial Vijay Amritraj, came roaring back because of Amritraj's relatively lower physical fitness. In this, he was 2-0 up, yet lost to Borg who was not at his highest level of skill yet remained mentally and physically at "champion" level.
in First set Connors 6-0 against Borg is unimaginable when Borg is in Peak. Connors is warrior and fighter , kill or get Killed. After this he was beaten by young John Mcknroe who was beaten by Connors in 1982. He, McKnroe and other Americans he never allow org to win US open. Connors is a very great and courageous player.In 1987 he was trailing by 2 sets down and 1-4 down with Penfors the swedish giant and Connors came back and he won the match. This kind of match has never been witnessed so far and it is the greatest come back. Mind there was Becker, Lendl, Wilander ,Edberg who were all 15 to 18 years younger ,He reached semi finals and he was beaten by Pat Cash in straights and Pat beats Lendl in straight .Hence Jimmy is greatest fighter and is the best. Borg retired but Connors went on playing.
Borg said that he was just going through the motions in this tournament. He was burned out at 25. He had played alot of tennis by then. A pity the tour would not let him take time out.
but McEnroe came back and played with probably more passion the last six yrs of his career than he did at the start / in his prime. With regard to Sampras, I think dominating the game turned him from a humble champion into an arrogant ass. I first noticed the difference during the 97 AO. But I don't think it was a matter of "burn out."
I'm not sure about that, he looked as quick and fast as ever to me. I think it was simply a matter of the being overpowered by the then new generation/brand of tennis. One thing about Mac, if he ever believed he was going to lose, rest assured something was "wrapped up" or "injured." 81 FO vs Lendl wrist, 82 WCT vs Lendl ankle, 83 Davis Cup vs. Argentina shoulder, later in his career it was the knee, hamstring, etc., but the funny thing is, I never detected the slightest hitch in his movement. Dude seems extremely durable - as evidenced by the fact he's still beating 45 year olds at the ripe old age of 58.
Ironically, Connor's body language throughout this set reminds me a lot of Krickstein 10 years later when he lost to Connors in the famous USO 4th round match. Even when Connor's is pumping himself up after a great shot to earn a break point, there is a look about him that he knows deep down an inevitability Borg is going to win the match.
THE GOLDEN AGE OF TENNIS ...'70.'80---EVERY YEAR A WONDERFUL FIGHTING SEASON...CONNORS...BORG...MC ENROE...LENDL...VILAS...TANNER...GERULAITIS...WILANDER....NOAH...BECKER..EDBERG......NOW IS SO BORED!! ONLY 3 CHAMPIONS..
In my eyes this match was the main reason Borg lost the final to McEnroe. This was played after McEnroe's game. So Borg hadn't the time to recuperate unlike McEnroe who had played earlier in an easier match against Frawley. Both matches were over 3 hours long, but Connor made Borg run around a lot more than Frawley had done to McEnroe. By the time Borg had bested Connor he was out on his feet. IMO.
The court wear says a lot. They were playing the entire court which is why it was amazing how long Connors lasted. Maybe Connors would have played into his sixties with the court play today lol😀
This was the last great match these two played at Wimbledon. Along with McEnroe they were responsible for catapulting men's tennis to the stratosphere.
I was at school at the time. The match began at around 4.30pm. Normally people would be busy around campus doing all kinds of things. By the time we get to the fifth set there was not a soul around. Everyone, including the teachers, had rushed to commons rooms all over the school to find a tv to see how it panned out. The very definition of a truly great event.
You cannot imagine how exciting this was. As they took their bow to the Royal Box at the end, Connors in his white tracksuit top, Borg in that iconic red and vanilla Dunlop strip, Dan Maskell said it was one of the greatest matches he had ever seen.
It was on a par with that great 1980 final the year before between McEnroe and Borg.
A momentous match during a truly memorable period in men's tennis.
I agree.
How did Connors blow this match, though?
I do not know why, but Connors has always been my favourite player, even though he was rather vulgar.
After Connors, Borg was my favourite player.
Then came McEnroe, and then Agassi.
I liked Lendl for a while. If he played Agassi, I was for Agassi.
I do not know why I never wanted Sampras to win, even though he seems like a great guy.
Two great players. Iceborg remains my favourite and Wimbledon icon. He did not talk much and got on with his games. Jimmy on the other hand used to intimidate and patronise opponents, but never against Borg. They had high respects for each other. And why would anyone trying to intimidate Borg anyway? That time also with McEnroe was the golden age of Wimbledon in my view.
This is when tennis truly meant something.rallies are so intense and shot variety far superior than today's mere sluggers of the ball
@@markwhitman9029 Yes, Borg, Connors and McEnroe had 3 very different playing styles.
Agree@'golden age' of tennis comment. I was a lil sh-t when I was introduced to those great male players back in the day, and that magical trio of Borg/Connors/McEnroe brought an intensity and "pizzaz" to tennis that really hasn't been equaled since, IMO. Subsequently produced some of the best combination of drama, showmanship and epic tennis matches between those ultra competitors. BTW, has there ever been a more well-behaved, non-bitching athlete than Bjorn Borg??
@@mikes3827 Bjorn had to hold these emotions in. It is the Nordic Way. He probably got really mad and explode in his private life, though.
The other 2 would just let it out on the court.
These 3 were amazing. 3 different styles of playing with different type of racquets.
An amazing period in tennis history.
The way they were able to play with these rackets is truly remarkable!
Mais 40ans avant les raquettes devaient être encore 10 fois pires !😉
Oh the kids today haven't a clue about the equipment back in the day. I used to be pretty damned good with my Wilson wood racquet and got deep in local club tourneys. We used to have much better variety of shots but one couldn't get super powerful speed but made for better rallies.I wouldn't trade my time in 70s and 80s and the men and women stars for the world
@@markwhitman9029 When I started playing as a child in the late 80's, we were already using graphite frames, I would love to play with a wooden racket some time, though. I imagine the strings felt softer than today's?
Tennis was so much fun to watch from the mid 70s to mid 80s.........Breakfast at Wimbledon was always memorable .
I love how even Jimmy Connors shows Borg some respect.
The most memorable tennis match I've even seen and Borg's greatest comeback - the coolness and guts he showed on some of the break points against him in the fifth set had to be seen to be believed, and of course at this time unknown to the public he was starting to feel burnt out and coming to the end of his tether. You can see it slightly in some of his mistakes and mannerisms. At times his face seems sadder than normal. Their wasn't much sport on TV then and the whole world seemed to stop for it. The networks around the world thought Borg would win in straight sets but when Connors went 2 sets up they were scrambling their schedules around to keep it on air. At the time some people called it the greatest match in Wimbledon history
I felt sad when Bjorn retired.
Era simpatico Connors coi.suoi capelli a caschetto
I was actually there for this match. Such a privilege. The last match that Borg won at Wimbledon. Brought his unbeaten run to 41, if my arithmetic is correct 😏.
I’d so love to see a 2022 clean video version of this
" If there was ever 2 men who deserved a standing ovation then its these two " Dans comment at the end.
Good catch on your part
Agree!
Borg is the most impressive tennis player I have ever seen. He was a very mysterious player because he was very silent, very calm and made no gesture of irritation or joy. His nickname was "iceborg". I felt like I was seeing some sort of “God” come to Earth. No other tennis player ever gave me such a visual impression again. Federer Nadal and Djokovic are legends, but they never achieved the aura of Borg because they remained human, while Borg gave the impression of having come from another planet, of being an alien, and when he had his beard, he looked like it was Jesus Christ playing tennis. At the age of 25 he had already won 11 Grand Slams. People today can't imagine the legendary player Borg was back then. He stopped playing tennis at just 26 years old, that’s incredible too.
I went with my grandma to Wimbledon in 1981, we had tickets to No1 court. We saw McEnroe and Stan Smith in the round of 16. Connors was on an outside court, I think his ranking had dropped somewhat. He had a resurgence after Borg retired soon after this. Borg was playing Gerulaitis on center court, I got a glimpse of both of them but it was very crowded. Borg was my hero, so enigmatic, so seemingly unemotional and cool under pressure.
Today's top 20 players should all be charged a 1% Royalty charge on their earnings so that money can go into the bank accounts of Connors and Borg. THESE ARE THE GUYS (especially Jimmy Connors) who directly brought the big prize money into Men's Tennis. These are the guys who made tennis a draw on TELEVISION. Jimmy Connors invented the fist pump....nobody had ever seen any players act with such gusto and passion before he showed up in the late 1960's. And Borg Borg became a ROCK STAR in the tennis universe, almost winning 6 titles in a row at Wimbledon.
McEnroe deserves 2% all on his own then
B
Yeh Jimmy Connors is the most exiting player ever! My favourite and he changed tennis forever! For me the greatest ever for sheer commitment and giving the fans their moneys worth! And dont forget has the world record of 109 atp tour titles!
John Hughes yes and when tennis had tougher draws! It was like Ali, Foremen and Frazier along other dangerous fighters.
Borg only diserves this. Ice Borg.
I remember as a kid hearing my friend, who had already watched the first two sets, saying that Borg was two sets down to Connors. I wasn't a tennis fan but presumed that Connors would win it. By the time I got home I couldn't believe it when I watched the 9 o clock news to see that Borg had won!! From then on I was a Borg fan. By the way, The crowds back then - so many people, packed like sardines. That was tennis at its height.
Agreed.
It’s sick to think how many majors Connors would have won if he had a serve like Federer or even one like Nadal that more than occasionally yielded him “free” points. Connors got so few “free” points on his serve yet won Wimbledon twice and reached the semis or the finals there many, many times. Remarkable.
Yes, his overhead smash was good but he was never able to get any velocity on his serve.
Indeed and even more surprising he never did anything about it, he always had and kept his pat-a-cake serve. Borg used to beef his serve up for Wimbledon, it was actually a very effective serve he had.
We don't notice as much as I don't think any player in the history of the sport has served as quickly ( as in taken the serves) as Borg.
And what was immense was that he even served quickly when down on big points. McEnroe would go for a whiskey at the local pub before serving his second serve at 30-40, Nadal and Djokovic play around with their shirts or bounce the ball a 100 times before serving.
Mentally the man was unbreakable. (Well until he broke himself and quit)
Connors still holds the record for the most singles titles in the Open era (109).
Hey very god point. Never thought of that.
@@onthe4572 At least 20 of those were bill reardon's small events separate of WCT back in the early 70's. Connors isnt going to be measured on 109, but on 8 majors.
I watched this live, back in the day.
Best match ever. I remember watching it all. Borg just decided he was not going to lose. Simple as that.
o, my too. Those were the highlights of my summer.
I did as well. What a great match. The 5th set was so riveting. The whole world was watching. Tennis was HUGE at the time.
I have watched the replay of this match…especially the 5th set, so many times….hoping for a different result. If Jimmy could have broken him in the 3rd game of the 5th and go up 2-1 with his serve. He had 2 break points.
Thank you so much for putting this on here this is the one match I listened to the last set to at work and I remember shouting " yes he's done it " and everyone looking at me in total amazement lol
Even though this was Borg's last Wimbledon, this is just a classic match! Bit of a forgotten classic!
so nice to hear Dan Maskell's voice again...I think this was the greatest semi-final ever at Wimbledon...
Dan Maskell was a great commentator , then he teamed up with Virginia Wade equally as good
@@jmartin4204 some people are irreplacable...I miss David Mercer and Bill Threlfall too
'81 was actually a resurgent year for Connors. Though he narrowly lost to Borg in this epic semi, he went on to beat McEnroe in the final of the indoor championship at Wembley towards the end of the year and the following year won another Wimbledon title against Mac, as well as successive titles at the US Open in '82 & '83, taking his total to 5 in that competition.
Borg attempted a comeback in '82 and '83 losing twice to Connors and then gave up. Jimmy's persistence stands as an inspiration to us all...
Totally agree!!
superb tennis -worthy of a final . Borg was still hugely loved by the crowd, excited that he'd reached a 6th Final.
Indeed, you didn't see very often 6:0 and 0:6 between such a great champions.
The modern rackets change the game of tennis. When Pete Sampras retired and did not even touch a tennis racket for a few years, when he did, he was amazed by the power of the newer rackets. The rackets of Jimmy Conners and Borg were the dinosaurs of tennis. As we watched this video, we have to wonder if the tennis court was longer and wider than the modern tennis court. Of course, what I am trying to say is that shots produced by Del Potro, Robin Soldering, Stan Wawrinka, and some modern players are so must faster because of the newer rackets.
Evolution is normal. But tennis is tennis, serve, backhand, forehand, volley, passing shot, lob, new rackets will never change that.
Also the string technology
Incredible tennis from two of the worlds best.
Jimmy using a modern technology racquet, and Borg preferred to use his trusted Wooden Donnay racquet.
Legends. 🙏👊😎
@Gumshoe Beaumont French player Lacoste designed the T-2000 in 1953. Not modern. It was not patented and sold until a few years later. It's head was small, as were the wood rackets of the day.
I played with a T-2000 for maybe 4 years when Jimmy used it. I liked it. It was powerful compared with competing wood frames. Jimmy eventually moved on to the Prince Mono, so I played with that, too.
@Gumshoe Beaumont I started playing tennis in 1961. Just about all rackets back then had tiny heads.
About 30 years ago, I played several matches with a young guy. I won every match. I had my best play between age 40 and age 50. Never an expert player, my ratings ranged from 3.5 to 4.5.
He told me he was considering a new frame, perhaps the Wilson Pro Staff Pete Sampras made famous. I think it is 85 square inches. I have hit with it - a sweet frame that really challenges its owner. I told my young friend that if he mastered that frame, he could really improve his play.
I didn't see the young man for a year. He called me for a match. He showed up with the 85 inch Pro Staff. He had cleaned up his strokes - he really had no other choice with that racket. I lost against him for the first time and congratulated him with real pleasure.
I consider my main frame to be a Head Prestige, 93 square inches. But I also play with 103 and 108 square inch frames, when I'm not feeling my game. My most unusual frame is a Wilson Triad XP5. You could look it up - it is a 3 piece frame. It's very stiff while being pain free.
I had the privilege of being there for this fabulous match. As someone commented, the last match that Borg won at Wimbledon, because he lost in the final that year to McEnroe. Then, after the U S Open that year, I think it was, he pretty much walked away from professional tennis.
I started to play tennis around 1988. Mostly on public courts here in Sweden before I got a job and could pay for the clay courts. Most people at that time was impressed by Wilander or Edberg. So was I. But there was one thing I remembered around this time. Borg used to string his rackets to 28kg. With a wooden racket, that´s alot. They broke alot of rackets back then. Of course, this wasn´t a problem in 88 because we used graphite. So, I stringed my rackets to 28 kg. And you can hear it in this video, That poppin sound of Borgs racket. 28 kg! Wonderful!
Actually it was more like 40 kg
borg and connors had 2 great matches at wimb - 77 final and this semi - thx for posting
Jimmy nearly destroyed my childhood when he lost this match..He was on fire in the first two sets and Borg had no answer to his aggression and power.I dared to believe that this was his year but Sport is so cruel as I watched in agony as victory was snatched from his grasp!
But at least he won it the following year.
Little lucky in '82
@@tonypatricelli8408 McEnroe in a verbal fight with umpire Jenkins. And losing the control he had in the match.
@@tonypatricelli8408 Dont talk nonsense!
I remember this match very good. Really great match, 6:0 and 0:6 in the same match, you don't see that often.
The precise shot-making of Connors and Borg - and McEnroe - was just amazing. Such skill with ball placement and court awareness.
Bless you stephane. Borg vs Connors - When They Were Kings !
This match shows just how much mental toughness Borg has. He could have conceded this match. But he found a way to win against a guy that hated losing to him. That's unbelievable!
borg would have a very hard time even winning a game or two off Fed, Nadal or Djoker. Borg's game looks pathetic compared to anyone on the ATP today. Sorry to say.
Excuse me,he would have their Rackets and with his speed,much faster than those 3 plus the Grass is slower nowadays,do your homework and do NOT dismiss an all time great!!
And 40 years from now, the top players will make today's champions look like chumps.
Absolutely, utterly wrong my friend. I saw Borg play live in his day. Using the same rocket launcher rackets that unfortunately took over tennis shortly after Borg retired, he would have demolished Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, etc. FYR Borg also has one incredible record that no player before or since has equaled: an 89.8% winning percentage of matches won at Grand Slams. Borg and Federer are the two best players in history in my book.
This was one of the greatest matches I ever got to watch. And for you to put the great 5th set on here, with all its drama, WOW.
Only Borg could come back like this. I saw it live on TV. So memorable!
Hey don't forget Connors vs Pernfors at Wimbledon 1997 which is available on YT thanks to JimmyConnorsGreatestMatches and Tennis Moscow.
+tenniscollector Connors vs Perfors. I used to own that on VHS as I was taping Connors getting a thrashing. Then he miraculously turned it around. That was an amazing comeback too.
This court seems pretty slow and also thrilled to see so many baseline rally. This guys would be giants in today's game with better rackets.
Two tennis monsters on a superb final set. Can´t believe my eyes!
So nice to hear BBC..Only commented when it's warranted.....The ambience....Especially at Wimbledon speaks for itself....Pat Mac....take Note....Just to name one
I have all this on vhs tape. Tremendous match. Connors on fire for two sets then a close third set and he didn't play badly in the fourth but didn't win a game. This final set was immense. Nectar Of The Gods according to our press... I was 16 years old watching on a bw tv in Harlech, Wales
Staffordshire Town & Country if you’ve got the whole thing on VHS could you digitize it and put it up on UA-cam? Would love it man!
And that's why Jimmy's my all time favorite. He had absolutely no serve, so he was always already at a disadvantage to begin with. He was much easier to break than was Borg, Mac, or Lendl. But he was such a grinder and left everything he had out there on the court. I just loved watching him. But he lost to Borg at Wimbledon and it killed me as a kid to see him lose all the time.
No serve, and really a mediocre forehand on anything hit low to him on that flat side. Yet you're right, Jimmy had great mental toughness, a magnificent backhand, underrated speed and good (not great ) volleys. Also a brilliant overhead. But if you watch Connors footwork, it was tremendous as well. Borg was just a better athlete, , with more consistency, and a bigger forehand and serve than Connors. It was a bad stylistic matchup for Connors in this rivalry. Espec once Borg matured into a good server. 2 all time greats.
Using this factor, then Nadal should be the undisputed goat. He has serve not any better than wta player outside top 10 yet he's still on 16 slams, having won on all the surfaces, that too in a competition with Federer and Djokovic. Rafa usually get broken in almost every match or at least every other, regardless of who he play against. Surely he's the player among the greatest who has the weakest serve of all time. Don't forget that in the woorden era, the serve didn't really matter so much, since the raquets didn't allow almost no power. In the current era the serve matter way, way more.
Connor's also had one of the greatest returns of serve ever.
his serve is a total joke and I don't understand why he never improved it.
You are so right. It still won him 8 grand slams,against some of the true greats.
Conners Wilson T-2000 steel tennis racket cracks me up. The head is perfectly round.
I totally agree with the opinion and comments on this specific video....THIS IS ONE OF THE GREATEST MATCH EVER PLAYED BOTH BY BORG AND CONNORS!!!
I wish I could find or buy the entire match- agreed
Thanks so much for sharing this from a life-long Borg fan. The memory of this nail-biting match has been etched in my memory ever since I saw it all those years ago on our small 24" colour TV in Hounslow. 😀
I couldn't believe how Conners thundered through those 1st 2 sets, winning one 6-0 & thinking how can Borg come back from this? The way he did then, also winning a set 6-0 was tennis at it's finest. I was pacing up & down cheering Borg on & so very happy when he won. 😀
Never missed Borg...I grew up modeling my game as a Borgian and I still play today at 59
Likewise at 54 , and with the Donnay Pro Borg !
It's fantastic, what Connors achieved despite of his poor serve! Hats off!
Connors' serve is not as bad as people make it to be. He won over 100 tournaments. No one does that with a bad serve. He know how to get it in with slice, topspin or hit it flat. It's ok.
Borg did not have a better serve.
sorry, but Borg's serve was way better!@@thebigmonstaandy6644
@@markbrandis5684 i dont think so.Connors technik is better.and he ist lefty.
but i cant find any stats,so i must see whole match to be sure.and i dont want to see whole match.
Conners won 109 singles titles. The all time record..
Great match thanks for posting this
Hard to believe, Jimmy would play 10 more years and Bjorn would quit 2 months later. Big mistake borg
Very very true, Like McEnroe I was actually waiting each year for him to come back!
he did what he wanted to do. no mistake
Borg had no intention of retiring after the 81 season.he was just going to take some time off.he was later informed thatecause of his lack of play that he would have to qualify for Wimbledon.being a 5 time champ he was justifiably upset,and decided not to play the 82 season.
Yes the authorities r to blame for deny the public chance to see comeback in 83 of the all time great.. so stupid of them
@ Hunk Golden. Connors played 13 more years on the men's pro tennis tour after losing to Borg in the 1981 Wimbledon Men's Semifinal not 10 more years. Both Connors and Lendl retired from the men's pro tennis tour in December of 1994.
I saw Bjorn playing. He was a normal guy but I never see a guy so kick and so cool on court. Playing with small rackets 35 kgs gling gling old strings 450 gr. This guy was a Viking.
tennis in the 80's through the mid 90's was just great. Before the pure power game came along
Very true.The power game ruined it
marko krunic the western grip ruined it. All teaching went to the western grip. Look at the court wear, a measurement of how wide game play was.
@@emin7540 Very accurate observation.The continental and eastern grips have disappeared and the variety and subtlety of the game has been lost.
Interesting how they played without a ball back then. Classic stuff!
For me Bjorn Borg is like a group Beatles, He took off, shone like a star brighter than the others and retired early ...
Interesting comment. I think Borg helped make modern tennis as well. If you call Borg Beatles I call Jimmy Rolling Stones. Lol
@@willkittwk mcenroe must've Been nirvana
@@joe1972 right on!
I watched all these matches live, in America, so I only heard Engberg and Collins and Newcombe and that crowd. Watching the matches with British announcers is so cool. It's so much more down to earth and respectful than American commentators.
40 plus years later, still get chills at the end as those two titans of the sport walk off the court to a standing ovation. 13 break points in the set.....Borg 1 of 9, Connors 0 of 4. So many huge points that could have turned it.
Remember early in Borg's career the experts thought he'd never be able to win majors on grass with that game. But he kept improving his serve. Not to mention volley(s.)
What is this??? No towels to use between every point played???
Great game, remember watching it on a black and white tv at our cottage at sommer break...
Wonderful era of men's tennis. Best ever
The T2000 is iconic. Conners slapped deep flat shots with that racket especially on hard courts. It was about a $30 dollar racket you could find at Wal-Mart or Sears lol everybody wanted to give it a try.
Great Match... Super Energy... Espetacular Magnific Bravo. .
beautiful picture quality. thanks
Merci Stéphane
Je me souviens de ce match : de mémoire Connors menait 2 sets à 0..et la suite et fin de partie était diffusée en fin de journal télévisé
🤦
This is great to see !
Connors was as pumped up during those first two sets as any player has ever been in the history of Wimbledon, in the history of tennis, in the history of sport. It was absolutely spine tingling. But Borg. The coolest guy on the planet just wouldn't let it go.
🤦
Borg didn't win this. Connors lost it.
Borg defeated Connors 10 times in a row from 1978-1981 then retired . What he must have thought when he witnessed Jimmy win Wimbledon and US Open in 1982. Borg was my favourite tennis player of all time. I was 9 in 1981 but I remember this match was gutted when he lost to McEnroe in the final.
First memory of Borg was beating Tanner in 79. He would win Roland Garros and then immediately start practicing on the grass for Wimbledon he used to struggle in the early rounds but peaked in the second week reaching 6 finals in a row. I often wonder if he could’ve won more slams if he hadn’t retired. The ATP bosses should’ve let him play where and when he wanted from 1982 onwards. Like Djokovic now he only plays a limited schedule nowadays hoping he wins number 24 at flushing meadow but I think 23 is where he’ll finish at least he’s won more than Nadal
Conners, the all time singles title winner with 109 wins, didn't play 8 french opens because he was banned or couldn't schedule it, i know he was banned for 4 years, all in his prime. Conners won on every type of surface, he won the us open on grass, the us open on clay, and the us open when it changef again to hard court, the only man that did this. In 74 he won 3 majors but banned from french. How many more majors could he have had during those 8 years. Shame on the french.
Fondly remember this epic. Connors also had a 5 set comeback against Vijay Amritraj, earlier round. Was there a banner in the crowd with " Kill him Jimbo!" on it?
Indeed there was.
One of the greatest Wimbledon SFs ever. Hated to see either player lose. Connors' forehand let him down, for sure, and cost him the match.
Once Borg figured out Jimmy around the end of 1979, he had him. Took him several years how to counter the flat Connors strokes and strategy, but once he did, he was bound to dominate Jimmy from then on. It started with Bjorn realizing his serve was a deadly weapon against Connors. Connors was on his back foot for the last 2 years of their rivalry, every match. Very sad this could not have happened prior to 1979. Borg absolutely intimidated Jimmy starting in 1980, and never let up for that short time Borg was still around until the end of 1981. Borg absolutely sliced and diced Jimmy to shreds in Bjorn's final Grand Slam victory at the US Open 1981.
The greatest 6-4 set in tennis history.
I remember watching the first set live with my dad. He turned around and said..”Nobody beats Borg 6-0.” He was right, Borg would invariably win the match in those days.
MARVELOUS in the true sense
Two of my favorite players. Both unique, no one like them before or after
Just think how much more dominant Borg would have been in his era than he was, if (1) he had improved his volley ( both forehand and backhand volleys) , (2) improved his second serve to the point where it into would have been a weapon in his game (as Lendl did by hitting his second serve aggressively during his peak years), (3) had developed a great topspin backhand lob and topspin forehand lob (which astonishingly he lacked on the backhand side considering his excellent two- handed topspin backhand groundstroke), and (4) had stood just behind the baseline to return McEnroe's serve , thereby depriving McEnroe of the time needed to get inside the service box for his first volley, instead of ridiculously standing 10-15 feet behind the baseline to return McEnroe's serve which allowed McEnroe to get in tight to the net to volley away for winners Borg's attempted passing shots.
Un très grand match 👍👍👍👍👍
magique match 👌
Really enjoyed hearing Sir Anthony Hopkins commentary. :)
Not many people see this as THE LAST VICTORY BJORN BORG EVER HAD AT WIMBLEDON
Quite right. He lost to McEnroe in the final. And if I remember right, after losing to him again in the final (I think it was the final, no, might have been the semi-final, more or less walked away from competitive tennis.)
Borg and Connors don'T player good in this match , the only important difference is that Borg winned.
I think, that Borg lost too much energy in this semifinal, although he did not play bad in the final.
@@vanlendl1 I was actually there for that match! So I'm always proud to tell people that I was there for the last match that Bjorn Borg ever won at Wimbledon.
@@martm216 I remember this match, because I was living in NYC and we didn't have live tennis. I was listening to the radio 1010 wins and every 30 minutes at 45 on the hour, they did sports. They had a live report from Wimbledon. When Borg lost the first set 6/0 and then the 2nd, I was in total shock, because Borg never lost to Connors. I was terrified every half hour to hear, what was happening at Wimbledon. Then out of nowhere I heard incredible comeback at Wimbledon Bjorn Borg has comeback from 2 sets to love...... I was happy until that raining July 4th in NYC, when we all know what happened. We got the final live on NBC, and Bud Collins said, "the king is dead, long live the king." I was so devastated (I was 12) that an extrovert talking Kid became a mute, for a month, my mother was concerned,.what was wrong with me. Bjorn Borg had lost at Wimbledon and I was in shock.
I recall watching this match in 1981 and was hoping Connors would defeat Borg. It is the best and most intense match I had seen, Now I wish Borg had won the US open and that Connors had won more n Wimbledon titles. The Connors-Borg matches were more interesting to me than those with Macenroe.
39 years pasted ...and first time I can see this last set , because french TV had stopped to show the match before fourth set :(
I never realized it back in the good old days, but compared to today, these two greats have very odd or different backhand swings/strokes..especially Bjorn Borg..
I was there for this match, absolutely Fantastic!! Nobody thought this would be Borgs’ last win at SW19 😢. Jimbo doesn’t seem to get mentioned in the conversation with Mac and Bjorn BUT ….. who held almost every record conceivable in mens tennis till Fed, Rafa and Nole came along . Yep you’ve guessed it .. Jimmy Connors. 👋👋👋. OBTW, he has 1 more Slam than Johnny Mac !
Last success for Björn BORG in Wimbledon that means 41 consecutive victories in the same tournament...
At 18:35 min, Connors thinks Now I got him! Borg is totally unmoved as usual and replies with a serve ace...
Dos grandes de la Historia del tenis.
Did anyone read Connor's bio? There is a passage in that book that I can no longer recall where Connors' provided his take about Borg and Wimbledon. I remember him saying that Borg was tough at Wimbledon but he was never invincible. But then he also mentioned Borg's particular style gave him some inherent advantage late in the tournament when the grass courts became worn. Does anyone know that that was? and if there was any truth to it?
Two all time greats played excellent tennis. King of grass court play king of Hard courts. Borg-Connors-McKenroe matchs are really classy. Thanks Stephane.Borg retired after 1982 but never ageing connors again beat McKenroe after loosing to Ash,Borg , Mcknroe and not to anybody ,in 1982 which is greatest come back ( after 8 years which he won wimbledon in 1974)in tennis history.
@ pradeep kumar. Borg essentially retired from pro tennis after the 1981 season not after 1982. Borg only played sporadically in 1982, primarily in exhibition tournaments.
Great tennis and great drama. The youngsters who keep chanting that tennis began with the B4 ought to watch more matches like this one. Sadly, they won't.
Little do the youngsters know about tennis in the wood racket era. I've only heard of the tennis rivalries of the 50's with Kramer and Gonzalez, and I was a bit young to witness the Australian domination with Laver winning slams as both an amateur and pro, and I can only imagine how many more slams that the "Rocket" would have won had the rules been different. Having said that, I can't imagine these aforementioned era Connors being anymore exciting than the late 70's and early 80's with the Borg/Connors rivalries, and soon to be replaced with Borg and McEnroe. It was a different kind of game, shot making required greater skill with the old technology.
@@philippeigoa7765 laver was stopped with the emergence of conners, conners had 3 majors that year but couldn't play the french because he was banned. He signed a contract that the french open didn't agree with.
That's why Borg is my all time favorite, only the "IceBorg" could lose a set 6-0 and go on to win the match like it was nothing!
Or come up with two aces when he is down 1-2 and advantage Connors...Great!
for me Borg is the tennis itself
Yes, i remember that as well. For him, losing the first set 6-0 was just a warming up, I guess. It didn t bother him. And then he went on and beat the hell out of the other guy. How great is that for confidence! For me he is still and alway will be the greatest.
I seem to remember he did this in the 1980 final too, against Mac? I might be wrong but I am sure he lost the first set to Mac 0-6?
@@eddieingalls534 It doesn't matter who loses the frist set. It matters who wins the last one.
when was the last time you saw 2 Hall of Famers win and lose a set 6-0 in the same match?
I saw that match live on TV.
oh yeah me to. Borg was my hero as a teenager. I used to get out of bed in the middle of the night to watch the matches.
I watched this live on our Channel 9 in Australia as a 16 year old. So excited after 2 sets. So stressed after 4 sets. Deep depression after the 5th. Remember this do well. 😔😔😔😔😔Took the day off from school next morning - parents didnt know it was purely being heartbroken that i didn’t want to go to school. Thought i was really sick! Now here i am, 39 years later, senior teacher at major Aussie school 😜🤫
I think this was when the Burn out problem slowly and sadly began
Beautiful Tennis!
In the quarters, Connors, 0-2 down against the mercurial Vijay Amritraj, came roaring back because of Amritraj's relatively lower physical fitness. In this, he was 2-0 up, yet lost to Borg who was not at his highest level of skill yet remained mentally and physically at "champion" level.
Borg had perhaps the best footwork I've ever seen...
He and Chrissie on the women's side had best footwork
in First set Connors 6-0 against Borg is unimaginable when Borg is in Peak. Connors is warrior and fighter , kill or get Killed. After this he was beaten by young John Mcknroe who was beaten by Connors in 1982. He, McKnroe and other Americans he never allow org to win US open. Connors is a very great and courageous player.In 1987 he was trailing by 2 sets down and 1-4 down with Penfors the swedish giant and Connors came back and he won the match. This kind of match has never been witnessed so far and it is the greatest come back. Mind there was Becker, Lendl, Wilander ,Edberg who were all 15 to 18 years younger ,He reached semi finals and he was beaten by Pat Cash in straights and Pat beats Lendl in straight .Hence Jimmy is greatest fighter and is the best. Borg retired but Connors went on playing.
Borg said that he was just going through the motions in this tournament. He was burned out at 25. He had played alot of tennis by then. A pity the tour would not let him take time out.
I don't think Mac or Pete burned out.
but McEnroe came back and played with probably more passion the last six yrs of his career than he did at the start / in his prime. With regard to Sampras, I think dominating the game turned him from a humble champion into an arrogant ass. I first noticed the difference during the 97 AO. But I don't think it was a matter of "burn out."
I'm not sure about that, he looked as quick and fast as ever to me. I think it was simply a matter of the being overpowered by the then new generation/brand of tennis. One thing about Mac, if he ever believed he was going to lose, rest assured something was "wrapped up" or "injured." 81 FO vs Lendl wrist, 82 WCT vs Lendl ankle, 83 Davis Cup vs. Argentina shoulder, later in his career it was the knee, hamstring, etc., but the funny thing is, I never detected the slightest hitch in his movement. Dude seems extremely durable - as evidenced by the fact he's still beating 45 year olds at the ripe old age of 58.
It happened to Sampras, but it was much more understandable in such a case. He played consistently into his 30's.
I don't think you know what you're talking about. They've both said as much many times.
Ironically, Connor's body language throughout this set reminds me a lot of Krickstein 10 years later when he lost to Connors in the famous USO 4th round match. Even when Connor's is pumping himself up after a great shot to earn a break point, there is a look about him that he knows deep down an inevitability Borg is going to win the match.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
My first live match were these two!
🤦
Jimmy playing with his sieve racket !
They are some crazy set scores.
THE GOLDEN AGE OF TENNIS ...'70.'80---EVERY YEAR A WONDERFUL FIGHTING SEASON...CONNORS...BORG...MC ENROE...LENDL...VILAS...TANNER...GERULAITIS...WILANDER....NOAH...BECKER..EDBERG......NOW IS SO BORED!! ONLY 3 CHAMPIONS..
Yes it was, unfortunately there are no Americans who can play tennis, like Connors and McEnroe, anymore..
Michael Hegyan seems like men have given up playing tennis in the USA not since Agassi and Sampras has there been a champion
If memory serves, NBC showed this match on tape delay at 12:30am.
This match took a lot out of Borg. He wasn't at his best in the final.
In my eyes this match was the main reason Borg lost the final to McEnroe. This was played after McEnroe's game. So Borg hadn't the time to recuperate unlike McEnroe who had played earlier in an easier match against Frawley. Both matches were over 3 hours long, but Connor made Borg run around a lot more than Frawley had done to McEnroe. By the time Borg had bested Connor he was out on his feet. IMO.
This match would have been an-all time great final, nevermind just a semi-final - it was epic stuff.
This was even better than 1980 final.
The court wear says a lot. They were playing the entire court which is why it was amazing how long Connors lasted. Maybe Connors would have played into his sixties with the court play today lol😀